Writing instrument



Dec. 6, 1966 A. J. TESSIER WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 12, 1965 JNVENTOR.

TESSIER ARAM J.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,239,636 WRITING INSTRUMENT Aram .l. Tessier, Warwick, RJL, assignor to T & T Mfg. Co., a corporation at Rhode Island Filed Jan. 12, 1965, set. No. 425,943 2 Claims. ((11. 12013) This invention relates to a writing instrument of the mechanical type in which a writing unit which may be either a ball point pen or a lead is moved in and out of a casing so as to retract the writing point into the casing that it will not engage the clothing.

This invention is primarily concerned with the driving mechanism for the carrier of the writing unit, so that upon relative rotation in one direction of parts easily accessible to be engaged by the hands of the user, the writing unit will be moved out of the casing into writing position whereas relative rotating movement in the op posite direction will axially move the writing unit into the casing in which it is mounted. Threading means are utilized for the axial movement of the writing unit carrier in moving it axially from retracted position to writing position or vice versa.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide parts which may be made in multiple by machine operations, such as screw machine operations and which may be easily and simply assembled by a minimum of operations.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive and yet highly functional writing instrument which will be of sturdy construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement so that the writing unit may be easily replaced when its writing means is exhausted.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmental sectional view of the writing instrument in position for writing;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the writing unit as retracted into the instrument as it would be when placing the instrument in the pocket of the user;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views on lines 33 and 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the split sleeve which is mounted in the cap portion of the casing for driving the carrier.

In proceeding with this invention, I have provided a pair of relatively rotating tubular sections which are telescoped together and through which the writing unit extends. In the inner one of these sections, there is provided a threaded bushing for engaging the threads of a carrier for the writing unit. This carrier is provided with a polygonal portion which affords a means for engaging and rotating it while also permitting a sliding movement to occur along this polygonal section. The cap member frictionally engages the outer of the tubular sections so as to rotate it while it is provided with a split sleeve fixed in the cap and which engages the polygonal portion of the carrier so as to rotate it while also permitting sliding movement of the polygonal portion through the split sleeve. The cap member and the split sleeve may be removed for removing the carrier so as to replenish the writing unit should the same become exhausted.

With reference to the drawings, designates a first tubular section which is of two diameters by reason of the inwardly oflset portion 11 providing a smaller diameter portion 12.

The second tubular section 15 telescopes over the reduced portion 12 of the first tubular section and provides sufficient clearance so that it may be freely rotated about the first tubular section over which it telescopes. These two tubular sections are prevented from relative axial movement by being rolled inwardly as at 16 and 17. A casing having a forward portion 20 snugly engages the tubular section 10 so as to rotate therewith or provide a means for holding the tubular section 10 against rotation while a cap member 21 completes the casing and removably frictionally engages the outwardly extending ribs 22 of the tubular section 15 which are resiliently flexed inwardly by the cap member 21 so that when the cap member is rotated the tubular section 15 is rotated with it while the casing part 20 and the tubular section 10 is held against rotation. Thus relative rotation is imparted to the tubular sections by holding: the casing number 20 and rotating the cap number 21.

At the rear end of the reduced portion 12 of the first tubular section, a bushing 25 with internal threads is fixedly mounted by friction within this rear end of the first tubular number. A carrier 26 having threads 27, threadedly engages this bushing by its external threads engaging the internal threads of the bushing. This carrier is provided with a recess 28 for receiving the writing unit 29 which frictionally engages the walls of this recess with sufiicient friction so as to move back and forth with the carrier as the carrier is moved into or out of the bushing. The carrier is provided with a polygonal portion 30 which is here shown as hexagonal so as to provide corners such as 31 for providing a driving grip on the same.

In order to drive the carrier from the cap 21, I have provided a sleeve 35 (FIG. 5) having a portion 36 snugly frictionally engaging the inner surface of the cap 21 so as to be fixed thereto. This sleeve 35 is reduced as at 37 providing a sleeve portion 38 which is split as at 39 and of a size so that the edges of the split portion will engage one of the corners 31 of the hexagonal portion of the carrier so as to rotate the carrier as the cap is rotated and drive the carrier forward by means of its threaded engagement with bushing 25. This split sleeve being fixed to the cap is removable with the cap so as to provide access to the hexagonal portion 30 of the carrier for screwing it out of the bushing to replenish the unit 29 when it becomes exhausted. In order, however, that the carrier may be prevented from becoming unthreaded during normal operation, I have rolled a ring 40 into the split portion 38 of the sleeve which provides a stop to limit the outward movement of the carrier so long as the cap is in position.

I claim:

1. In a writing instrument, a writing unit, a pair of relatively rotatable tubular sections embracing said unit, a carrier for said unit having threads along one portion and a polygonal section along another portion, one of said sections having threads engaging the threads of said carrier, a cap member frictionally removably engaging said other section and a split sleeve fixed in said cap to engage said polygonal portion to rotate the same and slide therealong.

2. In a writing instrument as in claim 1 wherein a stop is provided to limit the axial movement of the carrier in the split sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,753,844 7/1956 Boss 42.03 3,106,908 10/1963 Gretz 120-l8 3,232,275 2/1966 Ziegler et al 120-18 X LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A WRITING INSTRUMENT, A WRITING UNIT, A PAIR OF RELATIVELY ROTATABLE TUBULAR SECTIONS EMBRACING SAID UNIT, A CARRIER FOR SAID UNIT HAVING THREADS ALONG ONE PORTION AND A POLYGONAL SECTION ALONG ANOTHER PORTION, ONE OF SAID SECTION HAVING THREADS ENGAGING THE THREAD OF SAID CARRIER, A CAP MEMBER FRICTIONALLY REMOVABLY ENGAGING SAID OTHER SECTION AND A SPLIT SLEEVE FIXED IN SAID CAP TO ENGAGE SAID POLYGONAL PORTION TO ROTATE THE SAME AND SLIDE THEREALONG. 